


Job Titles Matter

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Series: YOI Royalty Week [6]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Homecoming, M/M, Mentioned Pet Mortality, Royalty AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-08 22:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14703711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: For the past four years, Phichit's been living in America, experiencing life and learning lessons it can be hard to teach a prince in other situations.  Now it's time for Phichit to go home, and he doesn't want to.  Not until after he talks to his bodyguard and his mentor, anyway.





	Job Titles Matter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for YOI Royalty Week Day 6: Mentors, Advisors, and Servants

The letter wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it was certainly unwelcome. Phichit loved his life in America. Yes, he had a bodyguard here, along with a mentor, but he was a lot freer here than he was back home. He wasn’t constantly surrounded by chaperones and family members and servants, watching his every move like a hawk. The downside of having to do his own chores was more than fair for being able to go out and have fun.

Yuuri and Celestino were bonuses. He loved them and they loved him. They reined him in when they had to, but they were much less likely to do it than anyone back home. Yuuri was the best friend Phichit could have imagined, and most of the time, he forgot Yuuri was an employee instead of just a friend and roommate. It was a great feeling.

Celestino was a bit more complicated. Phichit never could forget that Celestino was his employee, as much as he wished he could. He had fun with Yuuri. He went to Celestino when either of them needed help. Celestino would sometimes come out and have fun with them, but all too often, he would tell them to go ahead and be young and stupid without some old fart hovering over them.

It wasn’t a perfect life by any means, but it was a great life. Now it was over. He was twenty, and his parents were officially calling him home to take up his royal duties.

 

When he found Yuuri, he looked like he’d been crying. Well, the bad news could wait. “What’s wrong, Yuuri?”

“My parents want me to come home. My dog… he’s dying. I can’t just abandon you, though.”

“Yes you can. Get your ass to a plane, get on it, Celestino and I can pack and ship your things, go see your dog. I know how much Vicchan means to you, and thanks to working for me, you haven’t been home to see him in five years. You need to go.”

“What about you?”

“When’s the last time you actually had to guard my body from anything worse than my own stupidity? I hired a bodyguard for my parents’ peace of mind, not because I’m really afraid of anyone trying to hurt me or take me out.” Phichit hugged Yuuri. “It’s actually good timing. My parents have ordered me home, and while you’re totally invited to come, I’ll be back in their fortified and guarded and alarmed palace compound, so… if you want to go home for good, you can.”

“Oh, Phichit. Do they even know about your minions?”

Phichit grinned. “Nope. They’ll learn. I’ll have to get used to not being allowed to do much real work on my own, but I will look after the minions myself, dammit.” The minions were his three hamsters. He was not giving up caring for his furbabies for anything.

“I’m going to miss you. I’ll see how things go in Hasetsu and let you know if I want to come with you?”

“Fair enough. I’m sorry to hear about Vicchan.”

 

Celestino had already started packing when Phichit found him. “Going somewhere?” Phichit asked.

“You got called home.” Celestino dropped the stack of books he was carrying on a table and grabbed a letter. “Your parents sent me that.”

Phichit read it quickly, laughing hard when the second paragraph was about Celestino being responsible for making sure Phichit didn’t just run off and hide to avoid his responsibilities. “Do they really think that would happen?”

“They’re still thinking you’re the sixteen-year-old kid they sent out here, probably,” Celestino said, picking the books back up to get back to work. “You have to admit, back then, you were an irresponsible little brat.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Phichit said, not offended at all.

“You grew out of it, and you’ve learned a lot about responsibility and duty these past four years. Your parents will see that quickly, if they’ll give you a chance to show it. If they don’t immediately surround you with servants and guards and treat you like a kid still.”

“Yeah, see, that’s the problem. They’re not gonna give me a chance, are they.”

Celestino shrugged. “Considering they asked me to come along, I think they still see you as needing a mentor.”

“Ugh, seriously?” Phichit made a face, and then clapped a hand over his mouth as the possible interpretation of what he’d just said hit him. “Not that I’m complaining about you coming along! Especially with Yuuri going back to Hasetsu.”

“What?”

“Yuuri’s going to Hasetsu. Family emergency. He’ll make the call about staying there or joining us in Bangkok once that’s dealt with.”

“Huh. I’m sorry to hear that. Anyway, I knew what you meant. It’s not me, it’s you don’t think you need a mentor. You’re an adult.”

“Are you kidding me? I absolutely need someone to reel me back in when I start getting too crazy, and you’re the best there is at that.” Celestino’s eyes flashed with pleasure, and Phichit continued, “I just don’t need a babysitter, and that’s what Mom and Dad will try to make you be.”

“That was my point. You don’t need a mentor, you need an advisor. You don’t need me to hold your hand and walk you through being an adult.”

Phichit bit his tongue before his first thought could come blurting out, that he sure wouldn’t mind having Celestino hold his hand for any reason at all. He’d been trying for two years to tell Celestino that, but either Celestino was politely deflecting or he was the densest person on the planet. “I supposed I should probably ask instead of jumping to conclusions, but you are coming with me, right? You’re not packing up to go home yourself?”

“Well, I’m doing one of the two, and which one depends on you. If you want me in Bangkok, I’m coming with you. If you don’t, I’ll send an official resignation to your parents and go home to Florence. If I come with you, though, it’s as an advisor. Not a mentor.”

“What difference does it make what they call you?”

“Being a mentor implies a certain responsibility for you, like that of a teacher or a parent. An advisor can be just a friend… or not.”

The way Celestino phrased it threw Phichit off course, but he sternly reminded himself Celestino probably didn't mean it that way. “Of course you’re my friend, Celestino.”

“Yes, I know, but is that all you want me to be?” Phichit didn’t answer. He couldn’t. “As your advisor, I wouldn’t have to do the responsible thing and pretend to be oblivious to your feelings and make absolutely sure that you’re oblivious to mine. I was going to talk to you about this soon anyway, your parents calling you home just gives me a good excuse.”

Oh. He did mean it that way. “Wow. And here I thought my parents were ruining a good thing for me. Hopefully, Yuuri will come out to join us, but I know we’ll still be friends no matter what, and you… yeah. Completely oblivious over here.”

“I know. I worked damn hard to make sure of that. So you agree to the terms?”

“Hell yeah. You’re not worried about my parents disapproval?”

“Nope. You’re hardly going to be the first prince or princess to take up with a trusted advisor or servant. I’d think it’s more expected than not, really.”

“Yeah, probably.” Phichit bounced across the room and threw his arms around Celestino. “I know. We’re not home yet. I’m just that excited, I’ll behave now.”

Celestino hugged back, keeping Phichit from pulling away too far. “You don’t have to. I’m perfectly happy to take up my new role effective immediately.”


End file.
